


Vulnerable

by BriannaSterling



Category: Reprisal
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Romance, reprisal - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:06:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21755746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriannaSterling/pseuds/BriannaSterling
Summary: Meredith isn't as tough as she wants everyone to think and Joel knows it.
Relationships: Joel/Meredith
Comments: 5
Kudos: 39





	Vulnerable

“Call me Daddy’s girl again, I fucking dare you!” Meredith’s hand tightened into a fist and before she could stop herself, she had punched Nicki. Her heart hammered slow and steady, not a trace of panic in her. This part didn’t bother her, she grew up at the Bang-a-Rang, violence had never bothered her. How often she’d had to fight to get her toys back from other children, older children. How often the men around her had laughed and said nothing while the children beat on each other. No, violence she was certainly comfortable with. She hit Nicki again, vaguely aware of the hard gravel beneath her knees.

“Meredith, stop it, Christ. She didn’t mean it.” One of the other pinups said from behind them. Meredith felt Nicki’s nails swipe her arm, but she just pushed them away and hit her again. She rarely lost her temper, but she’d been dealing with Nicki’s behavior for weeks, and she needed to learn a lesson.

“I’m sorry.” Nicki wheezed beneath her. Meredith lifted her fist again, but a hand wrapped around her upper arm and ripped her upward off the ground and away from Nicki.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Joel hissed as he pulled her back. She’d recognize that voice anywhere, deep, raspy, strong, slightly accented, and even if she didn’t recognize the voice, she knew the feel of his hands, rough from years of hard work and fights, but so warm.

“Get her out of here and cleaned up.” Joel called over his shoulder as he pulled Meredith toward her camper.

“You’re hurting me.” Meredith droned, her voice carrying no trace of emotion. She knew that fighting him was useless, arguing with him was even more useless. He didn’t reply. They reached her camper and he ripped the door open before pushing her inside. Meredith stumbled up the stairs and turned to face him.

“You’re being really rough tonight Joel.” she said, watching him move up the stairs and into her space.

“Why do you keep doing this? How many times do I have to break this shit up?” he moved past her and down the small hallway to her bathroom.

“If you’d just let me finish one fight, then it would stop.” She shrugged and fell down onto the couch, sighing in frustration. Joel returned with the first aid kit and narrowed his eyes at her.

“You like fighting?” Joel asked as he opened the first air kit and pulled out some alcohol swabs. Meredith eyed him warily as he ripped them open and kneeled in front of her.

“How about we throw you in the ring then? That’s what it’s for.” He grabbed her hand roughly and started cleaning the small cuts on her knuckles, and his roughness was suddenly soft, gentle, almost kind.

“You’d do that Joel? Throw me in the ring with those big bad Brawlers?” she asked softly. He looked up at her and she batted her eyelashes, feigning innocence. His teeth clenched and the muscle in his jaw flexed before he looked back down at her hand and finished cleaning it.

“You want me to get hurt Joel?” she asked, her voice staying soft. He shoved her hand away and stood quickly.

“Stop that.” He said roughly, turning away from her and closing the first aid kit.

“Stop what? You don’t like it when I talk to you like this?” she asked slowly, standing up behind him. She could feel the tension rolling off of him. Always so tense, so worked up and angry.

“You want me to tip you Meredith, pay you for a dance?” he asked, spinning to face her. It was her turn to narrow her eyes at him.

“That’s what I thought, then don’t talk to me like you talk to them.” He said. Meredith felt a tingle go down her spine and she stepped in closer to him.

“How do you want me to talk you then Joel?” she asked. Joel’s deep brown eyes bore into her, pushing past all her bullshit, digging down deep into her soul. He saw her, he saw deep into her, and God was it terrifying.

“I just want you to stop causing me so much fucking trouble.” He said, taking a step toward her and closing the space between them.

“Maybe you should stop worrying and just leave me be.” her voice was quiet now, not as confident, not as strong, and she hated it, she hated how soft he made her. She hated how much he cared about her, how he protected her, watched her, loved her. Violence she was used to, vulnerability, not so much. Joel blinked slowly before his tongue darted out, wetting his lips.

“You know I can’t do that.” He said, his eyes traveling down her face and over her throat. Meredith swallowed hard, she felt like she was being stripped naked and it make her heart race. She found the courage to run her hand slowly up his arm, before letting her fingers softly trail across his chest.

“Yeah, I know.” She whispered. Joel’s hands slid beneath her arms and he lifted her with ease before depositing her onto the counter. Meredith’s hands instinctively went around his shoulders and her feet hooked behind his thighs as his mouth dropped to her neck. The familiar feeling of his beard on her skin caused her heart to race even faster and her back to arch. Joel’s hand came up and closed around her neck, it didn’t hurt, but it made Meredith’s body warm instantly and her core ache. His head lifted and his mouth closed over hers while he held her neck firmly. Meredith felt like her chest was going to explode. She loved being touched by him, he knew so many things about her body, he knew so much more than she did, and every time they were together he proved to her just how much he knew. His other hand landed between her thighs and she gasped into his mouth, he kept a firm hold on her neck while his fingers explored. Meredith gasped again and moved against his hand, but his grip on her neck squeezed.

“Hold still.” He growled into her mouth. Meredith nodded and his fingers skillfully moved in and out of her while his thumb pressed into her clit. Meredith arched as her body tightened like a bow string, but Joel didn’t stop, his fingers moved and his mouth pulled hers back to him.

“I want to feel you.” She whispered against his mouth and pushed at the shirt on his shoulders. Joel let her push the shirt off him and he reluctantly pulled his hands away from her to shed it, his undershirt followed. He hands weren’t on her anymore, but it was worth it to see him, to be able to feel him. He came back toward her, but this time he pulled her off the counter and spun her around, going after her corset first. Meredith stood still while he stripped her, and as each piece of clothing came off, her steely resolve crumbled. But Joel knew, he always knew when she was feeling the most vulnerable. His arms circled her middle and he pulled her naked body back against him.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He whispered, his hand trailing down her belly while the other went to her chest.

“You going soft on me Joel?” she asked, her confidence pushing back up. Joel’s teeth sank into her shoulder, and Meredith gasped in pain, but the pain faded as soon as his fingers picked back up where they left off, reminding her that he wasn’t soft, but he could be. He palmed her chest and ran kisses over her skin, delivering soft bites followed by harder ones while his fingers moved inside of her. Meredith felt her body tightening and it wasn’t long before she was crumbling around him, leaning back into him as she shook. He held her though, held on tight before he sank to the ground with her, holding her body against his as they reached the floor of the camper. Meredith felt him shift behind her, she heard the slide of his jeans and then he was inside of her. She gasped at the familiar feeling and her hands pressed into the floor so that she could move back against him.

Meredith felt Joel’s hand slide up her back and sink into her hair, fingers tightened around the strands and he yanked. a whip of excitement shot through her and her back arched more while Joel’s other hand slid around to her front. She couldn’t see his face, but she knew, she knew his brow was creased in concentration, she knew his mouth was slightly open as he panted, she knew he was watching her move, staring at her body, and for some reason, it turned her on more. She clenched down around him and when she heard him groan she couldn’t help the smile that tugged her lips upward. His grip on her hair tightened and she cried out when he pushed harder and deeper into her. Everything felt so good, it felt right, he was gentle with her, but hard at the same time, her body clenched again and Joel’s fingers on her sped up. Meredith’s eyes rolled upward and her stomach dropped as a wave of ecstasy crashed over her. She opened her mouth to shout in pleasure, but Joel’s hand was there, releasing her hair and going to her mouth to keep her quiet. Meredith didn’t care, she moaned into his palm, the rough skin biting into her cheeks. She knew Joel had finished, but all she could think about was the pleasure rolling through her. When her eyes finally opened, she was lying on the cool floor of the camper, as Joel moved behind her, sliding his jeans back into place.

“Don’t leave.” She whispered, not meaning to let them slip. The words were like cold water splashing over her. She always thought she was so independent, so strong. She thought she didn’t need anyone, yet here she was, naked on the floor, asking the man that had just fucked her not to leave.

“You know I can’t stay.” He replied. Meredith felt the pang that often followed their encounters, the sadness that left her wondering why she continued on with him. Joel’s face filled her line of vision as he laid down next to her on the floor, his brown eyes searching her face.

“But I don’t have to leave right now.” He said. As much as she hated herself for it, relief pulsed through her and she remembered why she carried on with Joel.

“Don’t think you have to or nothing, I just thought you might want to rest for a minute.” She shrugged, trying her damnedest to keep up her façade. Joel’s eyes twinkled with humor and he reached out, pulling her across the floor and into his hard chest.

“Shut up.” He said. Meredith laid her head on him and did what she did each time she found herself in that position, she traced his tattoos. And when his arms tightened around her, holding her close to him, and his fingers ran through the ends of her hair before he carefully stroked her skin, she was reminded that he was gentle, his hands were rough, and she could deal with being just a little vulnerable. 


End file.
